German Language B1 Intermediate (Mittelstufe) Syllabus

How do you give advice using 'sollte' or 'an deiner Stelle'?

Use Konjunktiv II 'sollte' (should) or 'An deiner Stelle würde ich ...' (If I were you, I would ...). Example: Du solltest mehr schlafen. / An deiner Stelle würde ich einen Arzt fragen.

What is the structure of the present passive (Vorgangspassiv) in German?

werden (conjugated) + Partizip II. Example: Das Haus wird gebaut. (The house is being built.)

How do you form the past (Präteritum) passive, and give an example?

wurde (Präteritum of werden) + Partizip II. Example: Das Haus wurde gebaut. (The house was built.)

How do you form the Perfekt (present perfect) passive in German?

sein (conjugated) + Partizip II + 'worden'. Example: Das Haus ist gebaut worden. (Note: 'worden', not 'geworden', in the passive.)

In a passive sentence, how do you express the agent (the doer of the action)?

Use 'von' + dative for a person/agent, or 'durch' + accusative for a means/cause. Example: Der Brief wird von der Sekretärin geschrieben.

How is the passive formed with a modal verb in the present tense?

modal verb (conjugated) + Partizip II + 'werden' (infinitive). Example: Das Auto muss repariert werden. (The car must be repaired.)

Form the past passive with a modal: 'The report had to be written.'

Der Bericht musste geschrieben werden. (musste = Präteritum of müssen, geschrieben = Partizip II, werden = infinitive)

What is the Stative Passive (Zustandspassiv) and how is it formed?

It describes a state/result (not an action) and is formed with 'sein' + Partizip II. Example: Die Tür ist geschlossen. (The door is closed — a state.)

Contrast: 'Die Tür wird geschlossen' vs. 'Die Tür ist geschlossen.'

'wird geschlossen' = Vorgangspassiv (process): the door is being closed (action). 'ist geschlossen' = Zustandspassiv (state): the door is closed (result/state).

What determines the case of a relative pronoun in a relative clause?

The gender and number come from the antecedent (the noun it refers to), but the CASE is determined by the relative pronoun's role within the relative clause itself.

Give the relative pronouns for nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive (masculine singular).

Nominative: der, Accusative: den, Dative: dem, Genitive: dessen.

List the full set of dative relative pronouns (m/n/f/pl).

Masculine: dem, Neuter: dem, Feminine: der, Plural: denen.

In 'Der Mann, ___ ich helfe, ist mein Lehrer,' which relative pronoun fits and why?

'dem' — because 'helfen' takes the dative, so the masculine dative relative pronoun 'dem' is required: Der Mann, dem ich helfe, ist mein Lehrer.

What is the word order in a relative clause?

The conjugated verb goes to the end of the relative clause. Example: Das Buch, das ich gestern gekauft habe, ist interessant.

When is an infinitive clause with 'zu' used, and where does 'zu' go?

After certain verbs, adjectives, and nouns to link a second verb. 'zu' + infinitive goes at the end of the clause. Example: Ich versuche, früh aufzustehen. (With separable verbs, 'zu' goes between the prefix and stem: aufzustehen.)

Do you use an infinitive clause with 'zu' after modal verbs? Give the rule.

No. After modal verbs (müssen, können, wollen, etc.), the plain infinitive is used without 'zu'. Example: Ich muss gehen (not zu gehen). Also no 'zu' after werden, and verbs like sehen, hören, lassen.

What is the difference between 'um...zu' and 'damit' for expressing purpose (final clauses)?

Both express purpose ('in order to'). Use 'um...zu' + infinitive when the subject is the same in both clauses. Use 'damit' + full clause when the subjects are different.

Rewrite with 'um...zu': 'Ich lerne Deutsch. Ich will in Deutschland studieren.'

Ich lerne Deutsch, um in Deutschland zu studieren. (Same subject 'ich', so um...zu is used.)

When must you use 'damit' instead of 'um...zu'? Give an example.

When the two clauses have different subjects. Example: Ich erkläre es dir, damit du es verstehst. (I explain it so that you understand it — subjects 'ich' and 'du' differ.)

What do concessive clauses express, and what does 'obwohl' mean and require?

They express a contrast/concession ('although/even though'). 'obwohl' is a subordinating conjunction meaning 'although' and sends the verb to the end: Obwohl es regnet, gehe ich spazieren.

Contrast the grammar of 'obwohl' and 'trotzdem'.

'obwohl' is a subordinating conjunction (verb goes to the end of its clause). 'trotzdem' is an adverb meaning 'nevertheless/anyway' that takes normal main-clause word order (verb second): Es regnet. Trotzdem gehe ich spazieren.

What is a verb-preposition combination, and why must they be memorized?

Certain verbs are fixed with a specific preposition that also governs a fixed case, and the meaning isn't always predictable. Examples: warten auf + Akkusativ (to wait for), denken an + Akkusativ (to think of), teilnehmen an + Dativ (to take part in).

Give three common verb-preposition combinations with their cases.

sich freuen auf + Akkusativ (look forward to), sich interessieren für + Akkusativ (be interested in), Angst haben vor + Dativ (be afraid of).

When and how are da-compounds (dafür, darauf, damit) used?

They replace a preposition + pronoun when referring to a thing/idea (not a person). Example: Ich interessiere mich dafür (instead of für es). If the preposition starts with a vowel, insert -r-: darauf, darüber, daran.

When are wo-compounds (wofür, worauf, womit) used?

In questions (and some relative clauses) asking about a thing with a prepositional verb. Example: Worauf wartest du? (What are you waiting for?). Insert -r- before vowel-initial prepositions: worauf, worüber, woran.

How do you ask about a thing vs. a person with the verb 'warten auf'?

Thing: Worauf wartest du? (wo-compound). Person: Auf wen wartest du? (preposition + wen). Da/wo-compounds are only for things, not people.

State the adjective endings after the definite article for nominative singular (m/f/n) and the general 'weak declension' rule.

After a definite article, nominative singular is -e (der gute Mann, die gute Frau, das gute Kind). In the weak declension, endings are only -e or -en; -en appears in accusative masculine, all datives, all genitives, and all plurals.

What are the adjective endings after an indefinite article (ein/kein/mein) in nominative singular (m/n/f)?

Masculine: -er (ein guter Mann), Neuter: -es (ein gutes Kind), Feminine: -e (eine gute Frau). The adjective 'shows' the gender because 'ein' has no ending here.

What are the strong adjective endings (no article) for the four cases, masculine singular?

Nominative: guter Wein, Accusative: guten Wein, Dative: gutem Wein, Genitive: guten Weines. Without an article, the adjective takes the ending the article would have had.

Provide key German vocabulary for the topic Environment and Climate (at least four terms with articles).

der Klimawandel (climate change), die Umweltverschmutzung (pollution), die erneuerbaren Energien (renewable energies), der Treibhauseffekt (greenhouse effect), der Umweltschutz (environmental protection), die Nachhaltigkeit (sustainability).